Royal Woman Holding a Flower c. 1670s–80s Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Bikaner Gum tempera and gold on paper Miniature: 19.7 x 10 cm (7 3/4 x 3 15/16 in.) Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.194 DID YOU KNOW? The flowering plants on the ground echo the lush vegetation of the Qur'anic paradise. DESCRIPTION Following the model of formal imperial Mughal court portraiture, the artist has lavished care on shading the face of a royal woman and the distinctive qualities of her luxurious textiles. Details have been exquisitely rendered, including the fringe of her pink shawl with its lotus vine border and the sprigs of flowers tucked in her hair. INSCRIPTION 77 INSCRIPTION TRANSLATION Nagari number 77 PROVENANCE ?-2018 Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art 2018- The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH EXHIBITION HISTORY Paintings of Bikaner – Indian Gallery 242 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 7, 2019-April 5, 2020).